Toe-board plate



March 27, 1928,

J. F. DUFFY TOE BOARD PLATE Filed Feb. 9, 1927 WWW 7 HEP)??? Inguflor Janus Francis Duffg Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,663,586 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FRANCIS DUFFY, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T DUFFY MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

TOE-BOARD PLATE.

Application filed February 9, 1927. Serial No. 166,862.

This invention relates to a toe board plate adapted to be attached to what is known as the toe board of the front or driving compartment of amotor vehicle to serve as a slot or opening closure in connection with the slots or openings through said toe board where the steering post and the clutch and brake pedals of the motor vehicle pass.

Devices of this kind for use with motor vehicles are desirable during the colder months in order to exclude cold air while at other times an exclusion of dust, dirt and the like is desirable.

My invention is directed to a particularly simple, economical and durable plate which may be applied to the toe board of a motor vehicle,which can be manufactured at exceptionally low cost, and which is very effective for the purposes stated. Moreover the plate occupies little space and presents a compact and pleasing appearance.

For an understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the toe board plate, the same being shown applied in connection with an automobile steering post and pedals which are. shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section, somewhat enlarged, taken substantially on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a partial plan and partial horizontal section through the toe board plate of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a partial plan and horizontal section-showing the invention applied in another relation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diflerent figures of the drawing.

The plate l is substantially of rectangular form though this particular form is not in any way essential to the invention, The

drawing-shows a certain design of toe board plate which is applicable to Chevrolet automobiles but for other automobiles the outline of the plate may be changed, as'is evident. The toe board plate is of rubber embedded in which is a steel reinforcing plate 2 between the upper and lower sides of the rubber and preferably nearer to the lower side than the upper.

' forward or upper edge of the plate.

The steel plate 2 at its lower side has a length nearly equal to the over all length to the complete article and at one end at its upper s1de it has a finger 3, spaced a short dlstance from which .is a shorter finger 4 extending in the same direction, while a second finger 4 of the same shape and length as the-first finger 4 noted is spaced from said first finger, it'in turn being spaced from the other end and the plate indicated at 5, WlllCh is considerably Wider than any of the fingers 3 and 4. The rubber covers this plate completely and extends beyond the ends of the fingers 3 and '4 and across the spaces between said fingers except for certainopenings that are made for the steering post and pedals.

For instance, between the two fingers 4 an opening 6 is made for the passage of the steering post. Between the fingers 3 and one of the fingers 4 an opening 7 is made for thebrake pedal; and between the other finger 4 and the part 5 of the plate a second opening 7 is made for thepassage of the clutch pedal. These openings conform to the cross section of the steering post and i passage of the the pedals and around said openings the rubber is tapered downwardly in width from its upper side to the edges of the openings, as indicated at 8. From the forward edge of each opening 6 and 7 a slit 9 through the rubber is made extending teAtxlliei in the same manner the rubber paralleling the slits is reduced and tapered somewhat making the flexible lips 10, at each side of each slot 9.

In the construction, of automobiles, particularly the floor of the driving com artment, the horizontal toe board 11 inc ined to the vertical lies at the front of said compartment usually being secured so that it is not readily removable. Below the board ll is a removable board 12 which may be taken outfor access to the mechanism below and many times the electric battery for the starting and ignition system is access ble when said board is removed. The steering post 13 and the clutch and brake pedals 14 pass upwardly throu 'h slots in the fixed toe board 11. The toe oard plate of my 1nvention is very quickly and easlly applled, it being necessary merely to bring the front ends of the slits 9 directly backof the steerbetween the lips at each side of the slits -9 into their respective openings 6' and 7.

The rubber at each side of the slit 9 not being reinforced by the steel insert member readily yields so that the post and pedals may be readily located in the openings 6 and 7, and as soon as they are thus located the rubber at each side of each slit 9 returns. to place and closes the slit. The toe board plate is attached to the board 11 in any suitable manner by screws or bolts, openings being made through the plate and through the steel inner member thereof as shown for this purpose.

When thus attached any opening or slot which has been made in the toe board 11 in order to apply the board to the post 13 and the pedals, is closed by the plate. The

lips 8 at each side of the opening 7 surround the pedals 14; engaged closely against the sides of the pedals, yield as much as is necessary when the pedals are operated and at all times snugly fit the pedals so that air or dust cannot come through. Likewise the lips 10 at each'side of the slits 9,

close said slits by the inherent resilience of the rubber as soon as the plate has been put in place.

This construction of toe board plate is very practical. The reinforcing plate 2 embedded in the rubber makes the plate of the required rigidity and insures that it shall always lie fiat against the upper side of the toe board 11. Also the attachment of the toe board plate to the toe board is greatly facilitated by reason of thesteel insert 2. The flexible character of the rubber in the slots of the steel insert plate 2 permits ready attachment of the toe board plate in place and insures that all openings shall be completely covered.

While, so far as described, the toe board plate has been described with reference to the construction shown in Figs. '1 to 4., inclusive, the invention is in no sense limited to this particular construction. For instance, in Fig. 5, an air and dust excluding plate is shown which may be used around a rod where it passes through the toe board of the machine, such for instance, as the rod which is associated with an engine accelerator passing upwardly through the toe 'board. In this case the rubber plate 100 has embedded in it the reinforcing metal plate 20, said metal .plate having a relatively large opening therethrough, but with the rubber extending inwardly beyond the edges of the opening in the metal plate 20 and being reduced in thickness, as indicated at 80, to the edges of the smaller opening in the rubber through which the accelerator rod or other rod may pass. In this case the rubber comes in engagement with the sides of the rod passing through the opening 70 and closes any opening in the toe board against the passage of air, dust or the like.

There are many other forms of construction which may be devised coming Within the spirit of my invention. In all cases the articles are simple and easy to manufacture. The cost is low while the articles described are very durableand will last the lifetime of an automobile on which placed.

The invention is in no sense limited to any particular form or shape of the plate. The outlines shown, either substantially rectangular or square, can be changed in accordance with the needs of any particular automobile to which applied and the manner of securing the same to the toe board may be varied. Whether secured to the toe board before or after the board 11 is assembled with the automobile is of no importance. It

can be done either way. The invention has proved very practical and successful. It is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming Within their scope.

I claim:

1. An article of the class described, comprising a plate of flexible material having openings therethrough, and a reinforcing and stiffening plate embedded within the flexible material, said reinforcing plate being cut away around said openings and to an edge of the said reinforcing plate.

2.-An article of the class described, comprising a plate of flexible material having openings therethrough between the edges of the article and having slits through said flexible material from one edge thereof to .said openings, and a reinforcing and stiffen- 4. An article of the class described, comprising a plate of rubber or like material having a plurality of openings therethrough spaced from each other and in substantial alinement, and a slit extending from a side 'of each opening to an adjacent edge of the plate, said slits being located in parallel relation, and a reinforcin plate of sheet metal connected withthe rub er plate and formed with recesses cut therein at one edge whereby fingers are provided extending alongside of and between said openings and paralleling said slits. I

5. An article of the class described, com.-

prising a plate of rubber or like material aving a reinforcing and stiflenin plate molded therein between the u per an lower sides thereof, said rubber p ate having an opening therethrough and a slit extending from one side of the opening to the edge of the plate, and said reinforcing plate being formed with spaced apart fingers lying one at each side of the opening and parallel to said slit. a

6. An article of the class described comprising, a thin and flat body of rubber or like material having an 'opening therethrough and a slit extending from one side ofthe opening to an edge of the body, and a' reinforcing plate of metal connected to the body havin a substantially U-shaped recess in a side thereof, said opening in the body lying within said recess and the parts of the plate at each side of the recess substantially parthe opening in said member being free to bend away from the plane of the plate.

8. An article of the class described comprising, a flat plate of rubber or similar flexible material having an opening theret-hrough, and a rigid member connected with the flexible plate substantially coextensive therewith and located within the outline thereof, said member having an opening therethrough larger than the opening through said plate and with its edges spaced from the edges of the opening in said plate, said flexible material adjacent and around the opening therein being reduced in thickness to less than the thickness of the body of the plate to render the same more flexible for ready distortion away from the plane of the plate.

9. An article of the class described comprising, a thin and fiat body of rubber or like material having an opening there-.

through and a slit extending from one side of the opening to an edge of the body, and a reinforcing plate of metal embedded in said body having a substantially U-shaped recess in a side thereof, said opening in the body lying within said recess. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' JAMES FRANCIS DUFFY. 

